Acetylene-gas generator



mmh 11 ,19524. M8627@ E. E. SPRINKLE ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR Filed Seob. 2. 1922 Patented hier, 11, 1924,

autres ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Applcationled September 2, 1922. Serial No. 585,964.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, EDGAR E. Sriniv- HLE, a citizen of the United States., residing` at Fort Smith, in the county of Sebastian and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to acetylene gas generators and has for its object the provision of an inexpensive and efcient device by the use of which dry gas will be delivered to the point of use and in which the feeding of the carbide will be automatically and eifectually controlled and the access of water to the carbide-controlling valve and the part by which it is actuated will be prevented. Other objects of the invention will appear incidentally in the course of the following description, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

1n the drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical section of an acetylene gas generator embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a detail section illustrating a drain cock.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a reservoir which is constructed with an inner wall 1 and an outer wall 2, these walls being preferably cylindrical and concentric and united with an imperforate bottom 3 by welding or otherwise so as to be free of open joints. rlhe bottom of the container over the area defined by the inner wall may be reinforced and constructed to carry a filling a of sawdust or other material which will prevent the transmission of extremely low temperatures through the bottom of the generator to the water therein so that freezing of the water will be avoided. rlhe filler 4 is contained between the bottom 3 and an inner false bottom 5 which may be secured to the bottom 3 by rivets or other devices,

indicated at 6, so as to securely -hold the filler, as will be readily understood. Disposed centrally within the container or generating chamber deined by the inner wall 1 is a tube 7 which extends to the top of the said chamber and is braced at its upper end by bars 8 extending between the tube and the wall 1 and has its lower end resting upon the bottom of the generator and welded or otherwise connected therewith so that no open joints will be permitted. The space between the inner and outer walls of the generator is partly filled with oil or other liquid, indicated at 9, and receives the lower end of a bell 10, the liquid forming' a seal for the open lower end of the bell in a well-known manner. yEhe upper end of the bell is closed by a cap or cover 11 and at the center thereof a neck 12 rises to support a hopper or carbide container 18. rThe bottom 14C of this hopper inclines downwardly toward the center thereof and has an opening 15 therethrough to permit the passage of the carbide. To the under side of the hopper around this opening 15, I secure a disk or collar 16 which forms a seat for the valve 17 and has a central opening 18 therethrough, the edge of said opening being slightly turned downwardly, as shown, whereby to facilitate the iiow of the carbide into the bell. Above the bottom 14, the hopper is preferably cylindrical and its upper 'end is covered by a cap or hood 19 having a central filling opening 2O which is normally closed by a cap or plug 21. Extending diametrically across the hopper above the valve 17 is a bridge or deliector 22 which is of a flared or inverted V-shaped cross section so that the carbide will be deflected toward the sides of the hopper and may flow down the tapered or inclined bottom 14 of the same without passing directly onto the valve 17 and accumulating thereon so as to choke its operation. The valve 17 is preferably of the conical form illustrated so that it may readily pass relatively upward through the carbide, but it may be of any other form if desired. rihe base of the valve is of sutli- -.cient diameter to extend entirely over the escape opening 18 and prevent the passage of, carbide through the same when the valve vis seated. A long stem 23 depends from the valve 17 and has its lower end' disposed within the tube 7 so that it may, in the operation of the device, impinge against the bottom of the generator, as will be presently particularly set forth. The tube 7 obviously will prevent contact of the water with the valve stem, and possible freezing of the water consequently will not interfere with the operation of the bell nor prevent the free movement of the stem. Above the upper end of the tube 7, a deflecting cap 24 is carried by the stein and this cap is of greater diameter than the said tube so that it will turn the carbide aside and prevent the same entering the tube, and when the bell is in its low position the cap will rest on the end of the tube and eiileotually cover the same.

The generating chamber is supplied with water through a filling pipe 25 which is preferably arranged vertically at the eX- terior of the generator, as shown, and has its lower end coupled to a horizontal pipe 27, one end of which enters the generating chamber and the other end of which projects laterally beyond the lilling pipe, as shown at 28. The outer end of this pipe 28 is normally closed by a plug or cap 29 which may be readily removed when draining of the generating chamber is desired. The removal ot the carbide dregs is thus facilitated. To withdraw the liquid in the space between the inner and outer walls ot the generator, l provide a drain cock 30 which is fitted into the outer wall in any convenient manner and establishes communication with the liquid sealing space, it bek ing readily understood that the pipe 27 is closed to said space and is open only to the generating chamber.

Within the upper portion of the gener-- ating chamber, I provide a drier or filter 3l which consists ot a shell having one end perforated or formed oi' a toraminous material of any preferred `form, indicated at 32, while its opposite end is closed except for the connection therewith ot the upper end of a gas pipe 33. rEhe shell is iilled with cotton or other material, indicated at 34, which will permit a ready flow of gas but which will absorb and remove theretrom any moisture which may be carried thereby and which would otherwise pass into the gas pipe 33 and thence into the circulating system. The gas pipe 33 eX- tends down to the bottom ot' the generating chamber and then passes laterally outward through the same, as shown at 35, so as to be coupled to the pipe 36. which leads to the point or points of use. The pipe 35 is provided with an extension 37 which is normally closed by a plug or cap 38 and which facilitates drainage or cleaning when necessary. y

Upon the exterior of the generator at the upper end ot the same, l pivota-lly attach props 39 which may be oi' any preferred term and dimensions and are adapted t-o vengage under t-he overhanging bead or flange 40 on the bell so that the bell may be supported in a raised position when cleaning of the apparatus is desired. Obviously, unless the bell were thus readily supported in its raised position, the filling of carbide might occur when the apparatus contains no water or while workmen may be engaged in repairing or cleaning the same and this action would not only involve a waste ci" carbide but would be very apt to lead to damaging explosions. ln the cap or cover ll of the bell, l provide a vent il which is normally closed by a cap or plug l2 but which may be opened so as to` break the vacuum in the upper end ot the bell or permit escape ot surplus gas when, for any reason, access to the interior of the bell may be desired.

Upon the bridge or dei'iector 22, l provide a snpplemental hopper i3, the lower end oi.' which registers with an opening 4:4 through the deflector. conical valve l5 is provided within the supplen'iental hopper and normally seats upon the bottom thereof, under the weight cii We contained carbide, to close onening a. The stem 46 of this valve depends through and below the detlector and is equipped with a bumper 47 alincd with "ne valve 17 but normally spaced from the same. ln the normal operation ot thc aLparatus, the valve 17 remains' out oif contact with the bumper 4:7 and the carbide in 'l trie supplemental hopper constitutes a reserve or emergency supply. When the main supply of carbide is eX- hausted, the pressure in the bell will be so reduced that the bell may descend to the full limit oit its movement thereby bringing the bun'iper e7 against the valve 17 and effecting unseating oit the valve 5. The reserve supply of carbide will then flow into the bell and sutlicicnt will be generated to maintain combustion at the burners until a fresh stoch oit carbide may be obtained. lllhen the pressure of the gas is so reduced as to bring the reserve supply ot carbide into use, the lessening ot the flame at the point ot use will notify the user ot the condition so that he may at oncereplenish the supply.

rlhe operation oi the apparatus will, it is thought, be readily understood. TWater is supplied to the generating chamber through the filling tube 25 and the lateral pipe 27 and carbide is stored in the hopper 13. Willen there is no gas in the bell, the weight of the bell will carry it downward and the valve i7 will, of course, drop with the bell until the lower end ot its stem 23 impinges upon the bottom of the generator, whereupon the continued downward movement of the bell will effect unseating of the valve and carbide will then at once low through the opening 18 into the generating chamber. rlhe mingling of the carbide with the water will at once generate the gas which will tend to accumulate in the top of the bell and lind its only outlet through the drier or iilter 31 which establishes direct communication with the pipes ot the circulating system. The flow through the circulating system is, of course, controlled by valves at the several points of use and by a master valve interposed at any point and indicated at 33. As the gas is generated and accumulates in the upper portion of the bell, the pressure exerted by it upon the top or cover l1 or' the bell will raise the latter until the valve seat 16 engages the valve 1T, whereupon the further flow of carbide will be cut-oill in an obvious manner. As the gas continues to accumulate, the bell will continue to rise and the valve will remain seated, butits stem will be lifted from the bottom oi'f the generator so that the parts will assume the relative positions shown in the drawing. As the gas is used, the pressure exerted by the diminishing volume of gas will, or' course, decrease and the bell will then eventually descend so that the described operation will be repeated and a fresh supply ot carbide permitted to flow to the water in the generating chamber. rlhe operation will continue automatically until the entire supply of carbide has been eX- hausted and the only attention upon the part of the user will be that needed to maintain a sutlicient supply of carbide in the hopper. My apparatus is exceedingly simple in the construction and arrangement ot its parts and may be setup for use at a very low cost and, when set up and in use, will furnish a plentiful supply of dry gas to the burners.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination of a generating chamber having a central tube lined to and rising from its bottom to its top and provided with an open upper end, a bell i'itted over the generating chamber and sealed against the same, a hopper carried by said bell and having an outlet opening in its bottom, a valve controlling the flow through said opening, and a stem depending from said valve within the central tube of the generating chamber and adapted to impinge upon the bottom of said chamber whereby to effect unseating of the valve and permit the :teed of carbide.

2. rhe combination of a generating chamber, a bell itted over the generating chamber and sealed against the same, a tube rising centrally from the bottom of the generating chamber to the top thereof and having an open upper end, a hopper on the bell having an outlet opening in its bottom, a valve normally closing said opening, a stem depending trom said valve into the said tube and adapted to impinge against the bottom or" the generator, and a detlecting guard carried by said stem below the valve and adapted to cover the upper end of said tube.

3. The combination of a generating chamber, a bell fitted over said chamber and sealed against the same, a hopper carried by said bell and having an opening in its bottom to establish communication with the bell, a valve normally closing the opening in the bottom ot the hopper, a stem depending from said valve and adapted to impinge against the bottom of the generating chamber whereby descent or the bell will unseat the valve and ascent of the bell will permit the valve to seat, a supplemental hopper within the first mentioned hopper, a valve normally preventing discharge rom the supplemental hopper and arranged in vertical alinement with the iirst-nientioned valve, and means whereby said second-mentioned valve will be opened by contact with the first-mentioned valve in an extreme low position of the bell.

il. The combination of a generating chamber, a bell tted over said chamber and sealed against the same, a hopper carried by said bell and `having an opening in its bottom to establish communication with the bell, a valve normally closing the opening in the bottom of the hopper, means whereby descent o the bellfwill unseat the valve and ascent of the bell will permit the valve to seat, a supplemental hopper within the tirstmentioned hopper, a valve normally preventing discharge from said supplemental hopper, a stem depending from secondment-ioned valve, and a bumper' on the lower end oit said stem arranged to be lifted by the first-mentioned valve to open the second-mentionedV valve in an extreme low position of the bell.

ln testimony whereof l aiX my signature.

EDGAR E. SPRINKLE. [La] 

